Ruby Falls swinging bridge

[dieselcamp]

Heard a few people talking about this bridge. Where is it and how to get there, anyone know?

 

[rubirose]

Well I have been there but I don't remember exactly how to get there. I tknow you have to stay on the main trail,do not turn to Ruby Falls, past Flapjack lake turn right, across small river up hill and then turn right at the Southesk trail sign. You have to go pretty well to the end of trail until you get to a burned out forest area and if you look down the hill you see the Southesk river. Somewhere there is the swinging bridge which crosses the river. On the other side is Jasper park so you can not go any further with quads. If I have something wrong here I am sure that someome else will correct this post.

 

[gforce]

sound right rubirose..i think thats the chimney creek trail..that area accross the swinging bridge is small boy indian camp as we took the road thru there on one of our day excursions..if you keep going past the cadomin turo off just pass robb and keep going south until the next right that takes you thru there,,go thru small boys camp(quikly) and you come out at the grave site but while on that road you look to the left and you can also see the swinging bridge..we found the chimney creek trail by mistake while trying to find ruby falls..didnt know to turn right rite after the creek..going back there on the 26th

 

[Safari Guy]

just curious why you have to go through smalls boy camp quickly????

 

[gforce]

honestly last time thru kids were on the street/road with baseball bats..no kidding..and they werent playing baseball..just looked like a dangerous place

 

[ponyboy]

been through small boys camp many times , winter and summer. nice country
i would'nt go through fast though as it is a community , with alot of children and a school. as for it being dangerous . i've never heard any negetive stories or seen any no trespassing sign's. we did have some little kids throwing snowballs at us one day though , but there were no rocks in them LOL

 

[KDX MIKE]

just curious why you have to go through smalls boy camp quickly????

ive seen those guys strip tires off a pickup while it was doing 30kph. Left the poor guy spinning on his rotors.

 

[ponyboy]

funny @#$%^& but not true......... small boys camp is not a reserve?? but a community built by squawters years ago as far as i know. the government turned a blind eye to what was going on ........ and let them stay ......don't quote me

 

[Garryese]

Gforce, the trail is call the Southesk Trail. Chimney Creek trail goes up to the headwaters of Chimney and Neilson Creeks, and you better not be on an ATV near the top.

Dieselcamp, Rubirose directions put you in the vacinity however try these directions. Follow the Southesk Trail until you get to the meadows (about 13 miles from the trail head). Once at the meadows go straight through (Rubirose went left at this point), cross Saracen Creek and keep following the trail until you see hiking trail sign. This sign is a marker for the South Boundry Trail. Turn south and follow the trail to the suspension bridge.

 

[rubirose]

Gforce, the trail is call the Southesk Trail. Chimney Creek trail goes up to the headwaters of Chimney and Neilson Creeks, and you better not be on an ATV near the top.

Dieselcamp, Rubirose directions put you in the vacinity however try these directions. Follow the Southesk Trail until you get to the meadows (about 13 miles from the trail head). Once at the meadows go straight through (Rubirose went left at this point), cross Saracen Creek and keep following the trail until you see hiking trail sign. This sign is a marker for the South Boundry Trail. Turn south and follow the trail to the suspension bridge.

Thanks Garry, I knew you would be more precise. I just follow Dean and never really pay attention to which way we are going.
Hey Garry about how far are you allowed up Chimney Creek. We have followed the trail above the tree line to the first flat area but never any higher. If ATV's are not allowed above tree line SRD should post a sign and block trail, I am sure most quadders would respect it.

 

[Garryese]

Rubirose;

FLUZ boundry has been marked by SRD, repeatedly. There is enough broken sign posts in the bush to build a modest cabin.

The Neilson Creek Trail (the trail that connects the Chimney Creek and Southesk trails) is about as far up the Chimney Creek trail you can go. The boundry is only 150 meters or so farther up the trail. Also you cannot go every far north of that same intersection.

It is a safe assumption that if you are above tree line with an ATV along the eastern slopes between Grande Cache and the Big Horn, you have gone too far. The only exceptions that I can think of is where a public road goes above tree line, like the Cont. Divide. The maps on the kiosks at Grave Flats and the Thunder Lake Rd. clearly shows the FLUZ zones and restrictions.

 

[Safari Guy]

If ATV's are not allowed above tree line SRD should post a sign and block trail, I am sure most quadders would respect it.

Only the law abidding and ones that pay attention would stop. I have seen with my own eyes people go up a closed trail right after telling them they can't go there. Then they got scolded from a horse outfitter and came back and whined about been kicked off the trail. Some people think the world is never changing, but it is always changing because of people who can't beleive the laws is for them too.

 

[gforce]

we actually parked the quads and walked in.no kidding..was not very far in and you could see there is no place for quads to get thru as there were trees down all over..we were on foot when we seen the bridge and thought too far down to go on it cause its a long way back up but there was a hiking trail down to it.going back there in 2 weeks and we will see what has changed over the past couple years

 

[Sammy]

Only the law abidding and ones that pay attention would stop. I have seen with my own eyes people go up a closed trail right after telling them they can't go there. Then they got scolded from a horse outfitter and came back and whined about been kicked off the trail. Some people think the world is never changing, but it is always changing because of people who can't beleive the laws is for them too.

Couldn't agree more with this. Toma Creek and Ruby falls are great examples. SRD has built huge roadblocks with signage on steel posts on the Toma Trail only to have it continually torn apart. Last time in Ruby, SRD had the scouts in building a new perimeter fence around the falls. Signs, fences mean nothing to some people, ignorance and lack of respect lead them on.

 

[rubirose]

Rubirose;

FLUZ boundry has been marked by SRD, repeatedly. There is enough broken sign posts in the bush to build a modest cabin.

The Neilson Creek Trail (the trail that connects the Chimney Creek and Southesk trails) is about as far up the Chimney Creek trail you can go. The boundry is only 150 meters or so farther up the trail. Also you cannot go every far north of that same intersection.

It is a safe assumption that if you are above tree line with an ATV along the eastern slopes between Grande Cache and the Big Horn, you have gone too far. The only exceptions that I can think of is where a public road goes above tree line, like the Cont. Divide. The maps on the kiosks at Grave Flats and the Thunder Lake Rd. clearly shows the FLUZ zones and restrictions.

I took a closer look at my map and yes we were in the FLUZ when above the tree line, but honestly we have never seen any sign of blockage or other prohibitive signs there, if we had we would not have taken the quads further. I see on my Coal Branch map the short Neilson Trail cutline that runs approx, north/south that you cross is actually the end of Chimney creek trail that you can quad on. Maybe SRD needs to put up a steel cable like at Ruby Falls, something that can not be removed.

 

[Garryese]

...Maybe SRD needs to put up a steel cable like at Ruby Falls, something that can not be removed.

Sorry, but I could not disagree more. We are supposedly responsable enough to marry, to have children, to show up for work, to pay our morgages, to insure and register our quads etc. We are smart enough to find dealer that will sell us a machine, we can find fuel and we can find our way out to these areas. Why is it that we cannot pick up a free map from SRD or an ATV club, or look at a maps that SRD has posted at staging areas? To no end, I have seen SRD trail guardians being bitched out and asked for garbage bags and coloring books, But I have never seen anyone ask a guardian for a map or an explaination of FLUZ. Out of the 12,136 member on this site I am positive there is not 100 members that know what a F.L.U.Z. means or the purpose to the existance of a FLUZ.

We can try to shift responsibility to SRD all we want, but all we should be expecting from them is to close massive areas to ATVs or restrict us to 30 days of riding per year. If you think that is unrealistic just look at BC and Cali. SRD has thrown all the resource they are prepared to through, they are left with little options other than legislative relief. SRD has not choosen to restrict areas, this task was force apon them when Herny Ford was making Model Ts.

BTW, we are not the only users of the outdoors. A cable restricts access to the Chimney head waters area to some users that have LEGAL right to be there.

Sorry for the . It's probably a good thing that I have camped and rode, and like Rubirose, or the wording might have got carried away

 

[rubirose]

I see where you are coming from. This is the first mistake that I know of of being out of bounds. We always have a map with us but since there was no marker weren't sure where trail actually ended. Now that we know we will not go past the intersection, we will turn south instead. When there are markers I wish people would leave them alone and not tear them down.
Message to everyone, if you go up Chimney Creek trail and find yourself above tree line, go back down, you have gone to far.

 

[Safari Guy]

You are fine Rubyrose,,,,,,, I have made wrong turns and found myself where I should not be from time to time,,,,,,,, It's called exploring and thats why we all find this sport so fascinating! it's the others that know the wrong and choose to go on for thier own selfish needs that the rest of us have to deal with. If we all carried a roll of ribbon and a felt pen,,,,,,,, we would be helping those that are not sure where they are like we where at one point. Just an idea for a better trail syatem.

 

[rubirose]

Well apparantly after telling Dean that we were out of bounds up there, he told me that he had been talking to the SRD guy in our camp,(I did not hear the conversation) who was checking our paperwork out that they do not mind people going to the first flat area above the tree line in the FLUZ at Chimney Creek, that is why we ended up there. Like I said earlier I just follow Dean. You are however NOT to go any higher even though you can see quad tracks going higher. So take your pics and get the heck back down. On a side note they also talked about the Box Canyon and the last little rock climb to where you are not to go any further. SRD guy said that they wanted to move the sign back before the creek below the rock face(waterfall) 'cause they were worried that people could get injured going up that little rock climb(can be slippery and tricky). I agree with him there is no need to go 100 yards further with machine. Get up and walk. I will definetely be listening and asking more questions of the SRD guys when they check our paperwork, I don't want to go out of bounds anywhere. On a side note all the SRD people we have ever run across have been very nice and helpful and full of answers to our questions in the past. Very pleasant.
By SRD I mean fish and game cops.